China Dispatches Emergency Envoy To Restrain War-Mad North Korea

A government official said China "reiterated the importance of stability and peace on the Korean Peninsula and delivered the same message to the North," which is frantically rattling the saber. "The request could be a warning that Beijing may turn its back on Pyongyang if it should launch further provocations," a diplomatic source said.

A word from Beijing could go a long way: Nearly two-thirds of North Korea's imports come from China. And only China can keep off the UN.